The E-Sylum: Volume 11, Number 17, April 27, 2008, Article 10
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: APRIL 25, 2008
At lunchtime on Friday I ventured out of my office to visit
the Dulles Coin and Currency show at the nearby Dulles Expo
and Conference Center in Chantilly, VA. It was the first
time I'd been able to attend the show and right off the bat
I was pleased with the location. There was easy access from
the highway and plenty of fast food nearby. The hall was
large and well-lit, with a snack stand at the back of the
room. The numismatic world runs on junk food, you know.
After signing in I went straight to the table of Wayne Herndon,
the show's promoter. I took a look at some of the modern
commemoratives in his case - it was the first time I'd seen
some of these coins in person. Included were the 1994 Vietnam
$1, 1995 Civil War $5, and two 1995 Olympic $5 coins, the
Torchrunner and Stadium designs. I also looked at what I
first thought were two different 2000 bimetallic coins, but
both turned out to be the $10 Library of Congress. One of
them had been mislabeled as "Statue of Liberty" by PCGS.
Wayne introduced me to his employee Traci Poole, a longtime
collector who previously worked for ANACS. He also introduced
me to his wife Karin, and we had a nice talk.
Next I floated over to the table of Julian Leidman and admired
a number of items in his cases. I remember a nice proof 1859
silver dollar. Julian also had a proof 2009 platinum coin.
I'd never seen one before (I don't get out much anymore).
Frankly, I thought the platinum surfaces were flat-out dull
and ugly - perhaps that's why gold and silver are preferred
metals for coinage. Or am I being too harsh? - what do others
think of platinum as a coinage metal?
The show's Educational Exhibits were borrowed from the American
Numismatic Association: Benjamin Franklin's Influence on
Numismatics and Money of World War II. While viewing the
exhibits I met Jim Shipley, a onetime ANA exhibit judge himself
who told me his exhibit on Latin American coinage won first
place in 1972. Jim remembered old timers like Ralph Goldstone
and Clyde Hubbard. Unfortunately I had to get back to the
office and couldn't stay long. I enjoyed by brief visit and
hope to return for other shows.
For more on the Dulles Coin and Currency Shows, see:
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